The Last Dive

A Father and Son's Fatal Descent into the Ocean's Depths

By: Bernie Chowdhury

Narrated by: L. J. Ganser

Length: 16 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Chris and Chrissy Rouse, an experienced father-and-son scuba diving team, hoped to achieve widespread recognition for their outstanding but controversial diving skills. Obsessed and ambitious, they sought to solve the secrets of a mysterious, undocumented World War II German U-boat that lay under 230 feet of water, only a half day's mission from New York Harbor. In doing so they paid the ultimate price in their quest for fame.

Bernie Chowdhury, himself an expert diver and a close friend of the Rouses, explores the thrill-seeking world of deep-sea diving, including its legendary figures, most celebrated triumphs, and gruesome tragedies. By examining the diver's psychology through the complex father-and-son dynamic, Chowdhury illuminates the extreme sport diver's push toward - and sometimes beyond - the limits of human endurance.

©2000 Bernie Chowdhury (P)2003 Recorded Books, LLC

Great Story.

This book does a great history of the family and the kind of decision making that ended, ultimately, in tragedy.

Especially recommended for divers but not exclusively.

Fantastic Book for anyone intrested in SCUBA

Loved it, although a sad story gave me incentive to be a better diver. In addition to the story it gave some important diving advice and some really good SCUBA history.

Misleading title

I enjoyed this book, but it has much content unrelated to the Rouses' deaths or even their life. The author frequently writes of himself, which can still be interesting. There is a factual disagreement with Shadow Divers about whom to evacuate by Coast Guard helicopter. Not sure which book to trust.

Well Written and Engaging

Very engaging--I never lost interest. Thorough --if you like adventure stories you will like this and learn a lot about diving. Narration was ok but you could hear him taking deep breaths before reading which was kind of weird. I highly recommend this book.

Great story destroyed by a heavy breather

A great review and story of people and their willingness to encounter fear and the potentially fatal. Made me do some self reflection. Great read.

Great book, well written informative

As a diver of course it is somber to know people lost there lives in the story being told. However it gives not just a biographical account of these events but also a very deep history of diving. He takes you through the years of underwater exploration as it applies to people in the story. Also if you are a diver you may pick up some tips that just might save your life as each of the accidents are described in detail. Highly recommend. Could not put it down.

We’ll organized and written overall

First, the incessant use of the martini equivalents for depth/nitrogen narcosis is somewhat annoying and strongly reinforces an idea that is not by any means universally accepted.
The starkly conflicting factual accounts of the Andrea Dorea lockout and Rouse helo evac compared to Shadow Divers is interesting and plants a seed of question in my mind about the accuracy both. Hmmm…
Generally. We’ll organized and written account and fascinating to me as a new technical diver.

must read for divers

Excellent book about diving and the tragedy of Chris and Chrissy. This book explains the dangers of deep wreck diving and the history of the sport.

Very Good Book!

Loved every paragraph of every chapter. The author writes about somewhat technical details of sport diving in ways that explain while capturing attention.

Did you just finish Shadow Divers?

1) this is nothing like the story of you U-who from Shadow Divers. Its more of a life time autobiography of 4 different people
2) It an exciting listen after about the first chapter
3) if you have problems hearing people breathe. DO NOT LISTEN. you can hear the narrators every...single... breath. But other than that, it was expressive and well read.
4) Author goes in to pretty specific details, which as a diver whos been bent before, was very interesting to me. but i can see a non diver getting lost in the explaination of gas bubbles. lol
5) overall good book and good narrator. But it does not hold a candle to Shadow Divers.
Enjoy it anyways!